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Real Madrid are one of the richest football clubs in the world (fifth as per Forbes 2021 list, with a rough valuation of €4.19 billion). They have a long-standing tradition of making expensive marquee signings.
All the way back in 2001, they had spent a massive €79 million on Zinedine Zidane.
They have held the title for the club with the biggest wage-bill in football for a long time. But this season PSG have overtaken the La Liga giants this season with Lionel Messi's wages making a huge contribution to the same.
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Real Madrid's top performers are not the top earners at the club
Karim Benzema, Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius Jr have been the top performers for Real Madrid this season but they do not rank among the top earners at the club.
Having money to spend in the transfer market is a bane and a boon because it often results in impulsive buys.
Madrid forward Gareth Bale has been a poster child for the same. The former Tottenham forward rarely features for the club but is among the highest-paid footballers in the world.
So, without further ado, here we take a look at the five highest-paid players at Real Madrid currently.
(Note: All figures are sourced from Capology.com)
#5 Toni Kroos - €421,923 per week
Toni Kroos has been with Los Blancos since 2014 when he helped Germany win the FIFA World Cup that year. The German midfielder is a supreme passer of the ball and has maintained an impressive 94.9% pass accuracy in league fixtures (as per who scored).
He was signed by Madrid for a sum reportedly between €25-€30 million. Kroos has paid out a huge dividend for the club by helping them win 14 trophies in his seven-and-a-half year-long association with Madrid.
He signed a contract extension in 2020, which runs out in the summer of 2023 when he will be 33.
#4 Marcelo - €421,923 per week
Marcelo is another player from Madrid's old guard having joined the club in 2007. Though he has found play-time difficult to come by this season, Marcelo has established himself as the best left-back of his generation in a trophy-laden spell with the club.
His partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo was legendary. Marcelo's well-timed runs down the left flank helped him be involved in a lot of goals, assisting most of them but also scoring a few himself.
His contract runs out in the summer and he could very well leave the club for free after the end of the season. Marcelo will leave the club as their joint-most decorated player in history.
#3 David Alaba - €432,692 per week
Real Madrid's summer signing David Alaba has been one of the most consistent defenders of his generation. He can operate competently both as a left-back or center-back, which has been utilized at Madrid.
The Austrian defender has missed just two games for Los Blancos this season in La Liga. So it is clear that Carlo Ancelotti, who previously managed him at Bayern Munich, sees Alaba as a key member of the squad.
His only goal of the season in the league came against arch-rivals Barcelona in a 2-1 home win. He became only the second Austrian player to score in El Clasico since Hans Krankl (Barcelona) in 1979.
#2 Eden Hazard - €540,962 per week
It is weird to see a player like Eden Hazard becoming anonymous at Real Madrid. The Belgian forward became the most expensive player in the club's history when they paid €100 million for him in the summer of 2019.
While it has not been a fruitful move for the former Chelsea star, he was rewarded with a lucrative contract when he secured the move. It made him the highest-paid player at the club.
The new No.7 at the club failed to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo. But thanks to great performances by Benzema and Vinicius this term, his absence has not been felt by the club.
#1 Gareth Bale - €540,962 per week
Gareth Bale's transfer to Real Madrid in 2013 caused a great stir in the transfer market and media. The Spanish giants had broken the transfer fee world-record for the Welshman, who was dubbed to replicate the success of Ronaldo.
Bale lived up to the hype as he dazzled past defenders with his pace and skills while also finding the back of the net at regular intervals. Bale finished his debut season with 22 goals and 16 assists in all competitions, including a 110th-minute strike in the UEFA Champions League 2013-14 final.
He scored in the final again, this time in the 2018 edition, an overhead kick from 18 yards out against Liverpool. After the 2017-18 campaign he would never go on to hit double-digit figures with the club.
Bale's contract expires in the summer and it is his huge weekly wage that has kept potential suitors away from signing him up.
